Funding May Still Be Available After a Federal Deadline
One source of confusion is how federal funding moves through state and local government.
A federal application period may be over, but that does not necessarily mean local agencies have missed their opportunity. In many programs, states receive federal dollars and then run their own processes to distribute that money to eligible agencies and local governments.
This is happening now with public safety funding distributed to local governments. States are receiving and distributing money associated with programs that support cybersecurity, homeland security and other public safety needs.
Agencies need to watch both federal programs and what is happening within their own states. The relevant opportunity for a city or county may arrive months after the federal government makes the original award.
The application period also may be short. Delays in the federal appropriations process have already compressed some grant schedules. If an agency has only a few weeks to respond, that is not enough time to start a project plan from scratch.
READ MORE: Shared services benefit state and local government cybersecurity.
Have a Few Projects Scoped and Ready Ahead of Funding Deadlines
I recommend that agencies identify two or three projects they already know they want to complete.
They do not need final quotes in hand. But they should know what problems the projects address, what the likely scope will be and which stakeholders need to participate.
For a public safety project, for example, the IT department might need to work with police, fire or city leadership. If the project requires a memorandum of understanding between organizations, do not wait until the application opens to begin that conversation.
Agencies should also keep the supporting data current. A grant application may require crime statistics, service request data, cybersecurity information or other evidence showing why the project is needed. Finding and validating that information takes time.
That is where applications often run into trouble. A meeting gets pushed back. Someone realizes another department needs to be involved. A key data set may not be updated. A project that looked feasible with four weeks remaining becomes a rush job during the final day.
The agencies in the strongest position already have those pieces in place.
LEARN MORE: Here is a guide to data governance for government agencies.
Expect Modernization Funding To Be More Targeted
The past several years have been unusual. Pandemic relief and infrastructure legislation created large pools of money that governments could use for a relatively broad range of needs.
I expect modernization spending to become more targeted.
An agency may receive funding because it needs to improve constituent services, address a cybersecurity problem or meet a specific public safety requirement. That makes it more important to connect a technology project to a defined government need rather than start with a product or an available pool of money.
Competitive grants raise the bar further. The organization distributing the funds wants to see a project that can move forward. The applicant should already have the right stakeholders involved, understand any matching-fund requirements and have data showing both the need for the project and the results it expects to achieve.
That preparation should happen before the application period begins.
At CDW, we regularly help government agencies identify available grants and understand their requirements. But agencies can make that process much easier by keeping a short list of projects ready for funding.
